Have You Been Involved in a Chicago Car Wreck Due to a Wrong Way Driver?

Wrong way driving in Chicago is a serious offense where an estimated half of all wrong way car wrecks kill or cripple the persons involved.

Every day we read or hear about Chicago car accidents. While these headlines may just be a piece of news for many people, for those involved they are very unfortunate events that often cause serious injuries, property damage and even loss of life. Most Chicago car wrecks are caused by human error, and can be avoided just by following safe driving practices.

Some of the most serious types of Chicago car accidents involve a wrong way driver. Wrong way drivers pose a serious threat to people on the roads. According to recent statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wrong way drivers are involved in almost 1.5% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes.

Who Are Responsible for Wrong Way Driver Accidents?

Wrong way drivers can most commonly be divided into four categories including:

Elderly drivers who tend to get easily confused

Drunk or intoxicated drivers

Intentional wrong way drivers who are trying to escape a traffic jam or another similar situation

Distracted or inattentive drivers who confuse an off ramp or an on ramp

The National Highway Traffic Safety Board has recommended several remedies to reduce the number of wrong way driver accidents. This includes adding wrong way pavement arrows, moving, adding or reorienting wrong way signs, placing edge lines on pavement markings, improving lightning, and upgrading signs with high intensity reflective sheeting.

It is estimated that about 75% of fatal wrong way crashes are caused by drugged or drunk drivers. This means that despite the best efforts traffic authorities make, it is ultimately up to people to drive responsibly.

Also, since older drivers are responsible for a large number of wrong way crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Board recommends implementation of a safety program targeted specifically towards older drivers.

How to Stay Safe and Avoid a Wrong Way Crash

Due to the fact that there are many negligent drivers on the roads, it is important to pay attention while one is driving and watch out for other drivers possibly driving the wrong way. If you see headlights coming from the wrong direction, there is obvious danger, and you need to get out of the way as soon as you can.

The most common types of accidents caused by wrong way drivers include sideswipe crashes and head-on collisions. A large percentage of the 300 wrong accidents that are reported each year occur on weekends so that is when you need to be extra careful.

Contact a Chicago Car Wreck Attorney

If you or a loved one have been involved in a car wreck involving a wrong way driver, contact the Willens Law Offices today at (312) 957-4166 or (847) 496-0990.

We focus exclusively on representing individuals and their families who were injured by someone else’s negligence.